While the usual suspects — Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin, and Villanova — landed the top seeds in this year's March Madness, smart oddsmakers kept an eye out for a Gonzaga-type emergence of an unexpected seed.

You should do the same! The unexpected seeds that deliver a slam dunk for your ongoing health and help keep you younger? Chia, flax, and sunflower.

Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (heart-, skin- and romance-friendly!), more calcium (ounce for ounce) than milk, plus phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

For the most benefit, choose ground whole chia seeds. They can boost blood levels of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid by 58.4 percent, and eicosapentaenoic acid by 38.6 percent. You can sprinkle them over salads or add to soups and casseroles.

Flaxseeds deliver protein, fiber, phytonutrients, phytoestrogens, and omega-3 fatty acids. Health Canada has verified the claim that ground whole flaxseed helps lower total and, specifically, lousy LDL cholesterol.

Two tablespoons a day supplies 40 percent of what's needed to bring the ball down court! Bake into 100 percent whole wheat bread and add to soups and smoothies.

Sunflower seeds deliver healthy fats, protein, fiber, phenolic acids, and lots of phytosterols, which block absorption of cholesterol in the intestines, but they also contain choline, and we don't want you getting too much of that! These you can snack on whole.

Call it a slam dunk or swish — bet on these seeds, and you'll move up in your bracket!